Hello all,

We (Steph & Mike) with Paul Diffley of Hot Aches Productions are currently involved in a project to try and change the prevailing negative narrative around caving in the hopes to try and encourage more young cavers and hopefully someday cave explorers into the sport.

We are targeting young people as we see them as the sustainable future for the sport and science. We also want to try and support this through our business Yorkshire Dales Guides by providing an affordable means for local kids to actually learn the sport and SRT as opposed to singular experiences only available to those who have the money. UKCaving has been instrumental in the start-up of this project and so far I have managed to secure enough funding to get it off the ground. Exciting times ahead.

This weekend was the first of the filming sessions and we got footage in Easegill, the Churns, and Alum Pot. Something we did which is less common and was really important to me personally, is that we got professional footage of kids having an absolute ball underground and the kids we took caving where those of the amazing Rock climber Steve McClure, a lovely man who has always been so positive about caving. We hope his voice and connections will help promote the sport to a wider audience.

I also wanted to say a massive thanks to the Durham caving lot who were so accommodating to us on Dolly Tubs yesterday. It was really appreciated.

Stay tuned for some sneek previews which will be seen here first.

Cheers Steph

This sounds superb, Steph; and I can't imagine anyone better placed to inspire young people into caving.

How kind thank you

I'm sure you and Mike have the energy and drive to make the Adventure Academy work.  Great name BTW.  The options for under 18's is so very limited unless they have a parent/guardian to mentor them.  Just look at how well those youngsters can cave who do have caving parents.  Bottoming the Berger at 16, Meregill at 14, etc etc.  I like to hope that if Adventure Academy works out, or a version of it, then this will be a model that can be used in all regions.  So those few youngsters who wish to take caving beyond an introductory trip have somewhere they can go, with the appropriate care and supervision, before we loose them to other sports which are easier to do at that age.  We'll try and support you as much as we can.  Good luck with the film.